


The Night After Rannoch

by CaptainWeasley



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers for Mass Effect 3, found this in my old drafts folder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 04:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5443832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainWeasley/pseuds/CaptainWeasley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard can't sleep after that fateful Rannoch mission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Night After Rannoch

James was woken by Ann's fidgeting. It was clear that she hadn't gotten any sleep yet, she seemed frustrated and sad.

"What's the matter, Commander?" he asked sleepily.

"Don't know. Just thinking, I guess..."

He pulled her closer and placed a light kiss on her shoulder.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She sighed. "It's just so damn unfair. No matter what I do, I'm losing people left and right. People I care about, friends..." Her voice was on the verge of breaking.

"You do what you have to do to save the galaxy. Everybody who fights for you knows that they could die any moment. Everyone who follows you is willing to sacrifice themselves for you. And sometimes it's necessary."

"I know that war requires sacrifices." She turned around to look at him, and he saw something in her eyes he had never seen there before: tears.

"But I could have saved her, James! If I had been just a little quicker..."

She wiped the tears from her face, tried to blink them away, but they kept coming when she continued talking.

"She took off her mask, and then she jumped, just like that, and I had to watch her fall..."

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her temple.

"Maybe she'd still be here, if I had only stopped Legion—I should've stopped it..."

Her face was pressed into his chest, her breathing laboured.

"You were only doing what you thought would help the war effort."

"But if I'd known what Tali would do... She was so sweet, so kind, she should never have been harmed. Not like this, not by me..."

He knew what it felt like, condemning friends to die, having to live with the hard choices. Maybe that was why they worked so well as a couple, because under all their banter there was a deeper kind of understanding between them.

"Ann, you tried to save her. You did everything you could. It was her choice to die."

"Like Mordin chose to die, like Legion chose to die, like Samara wanted to die..." Her voice was steady again, and she adjusted her position to lie on her back once more. "I can't help but notice that quite a few of my friends went suicidal during the last weeks. And then I wonder, who will be next?"

Her voice trailed off.

"You can't start thinking like this. You need to focus on winning this war, you can't afford to start second-guessing yourself and your decisions."

"I know you're right, but still... I could have saved Tali if I had acted more quickly. Her death was a waste."

"It was her choice to jump."

"And my choice to support Legion."

He looked at her seriously.

"And what would have happened if you had denied him? Maybe the geth would have turned against us and we would all be dead by now, with no chance of defeating the reapers. This kind of thinking is pointless."

Ann sighed heavily.

"Maybe you're right. It's just that I wouldn't ever have imagined Tali—not like that. And all the others..."

There was a long silence, each of them pondering their thoughts. Finally, Ann started speaking again.

"James, promise me something. Don't try to kill yourself in front of me."

He struggled to keep a straight face when he answered.

"Oh, I don't know, could be fun to see your reaction if I did."

She punched him in the shoulder, hard, and he winced. He still wasn't quite used to her incredible physical strength. But she also had to fight to keep herself from grinning, judging by the way the corners of her mouth were twitching, and he decided it was safe to keep teasing her.

"Maybe then you'd finally get that tattoo of my name."

He managed to dodge her next punch, and kissed her playfully on the neck.

"You know, there are a few spots where 'James Vega, my one true love' would fit real nice."

She was obviously trying really hard not to start laughing, but when she saw the smug expression on his face she couldn't help it. Soon they found themselves in each other's arms.

"Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't throw you out an airlock."

He was playing with her hair, still grinning at her.

"As long as you get my name tattooed afterwards..."

A mischievous glimmer appeared in her eyes.

"So, where exactly do you want me to get that tattoo then?"


End file.
